”Never give up because great things take time, I have come to understand that the more you fight, the more you learn. Knowledge is power so let’s keep fighting for our dreams, no matter how impossible they may seem.” -Abena Akuaba Appiah

For pageant enthusiasts, Miss Grand USA Abena Appiah, who’d later be crowned Miss Grand International 2020, was definitely a familiar face. The 27-year-old beauty, after all, had not too long ago amused Filipinos when she competed in the Miss Earth pageant. 

Presence

Abena, who went by a longer version of her name then – Evelyn Abena Appiah – was Ghana’s representative to the Manila-based pageant in 2019. She first grabbed everyone’s attention when a clip of her interview with ABS-CBN went viral.

Impact

According to her Miss Grand International profile, Abena is a musical therapist who works with kids with special needs. “I utilize music as a form of therapy that guides them to learn life skills,” she said. But she has much more on her plate. She’s also a flight attendant whose specialty is helping kids “overcome their fear of flying through flight simulations.”

Ambitious

She also works as a case manager in a mediations and arbitrations firm and, in Ghana, runs a school that helps young women develop skills for the entertainment industry. She said she plans to open a chapter in the US eventually. 

The Ghanaian beauty model beat 62 other countries to pick the ultimate title.

Credit: www.rappler.com